A former SEC Defensive Player of the Year at Mississippi State whose 2025 season was cut short by a season-ending biceps injury.
Nathaniel Watson spent six seasons at Mississippi State before breaking out as one of the SEC's premier linebackers, capped by winning the conference's Defensive Player of the Year award in 2023. Drafted by Cleveland in 2024, his development took a hit in 2025 when a biceps injury ended his season before it began.
Path to the league
Watson played six seasons at Mississippi State from 2018 to 2023, growing from a bit player into the anchor of the Bulldogs' defense. The Cleveland Browns selected him in the sixth round with the 206th overall pick of the 2024 NFL Draft, acquired via a trade with the Baltimore Ravens.
Career highlights
Watson's college resume includes 379 career tackles, 21 sacks, three forced fumbles and two interceptions at Mississippi State. His 2023 senior season was his best: he was named SEC Defensive Player of the Year and first-team All-SEC, and was a Butkus Award finalist after tying for the conference lead in sacks.
2025 season recap
Watson suffered a biceps injury in practice and was placed on injured reserve on August 21, 2025, ending his season before it started. His most recent game action came in 2024, when he appeared in 14 games with one start, totaling five tackles, one pass defensed and nine special-teams tackles.
Sources
- Wikipedia: Nathaniel Watson
- ESPN: Nathaniel Watson
Statistics
2025 season and career▶Defense · career
| Year | Team | GP | TOT | SOLO | SACK | INT | FF | FR | PD |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2024 | browns | 14 | 14 | 10 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1 |
Player Profile
Background
- Position
- Linebacker
- Group
- defense
- College
- Mississippi State
- Hometown
- Maplesville, AL, USA
- Age
- 25
- Status
- active
